Means for operating bulkhead-doors.



No. 706,471. I Patented Aug.` 5, |902.

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(Application Bled. IAy 19, 1902.)

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UNITED STATESf PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL HOPPE, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO NORDDEUTSCI-IER LLOYD, OF BREMEN, GERMANY.

MEANS FOR OPERATING BULKHEAD-DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,471, dated August 5, 190,2. Application tied Mfty'iegigoz.' sei-iti N0.1o8.o56. (Nomura.)

Improvements in Means for Operating Bulkhead-Doors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othxo ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to arrangements for hydraulically closing and opening several bulkhead-doors from a common con- I 5 trolling-station.

In the United States Pat-ent N o. 687,933 to Dr. Carl Theodor Drr, of Ohligs, Rheinland, an arrangement for hydraulically closing bulkhead-doors is described which consists of 2o a hydraulic cylinder the piston of which is connected to the door, an accumulator pref,-

erably filled with water and compressedair,

pipes connecting both ends of said cylinder with the lower end of said accumulator, and

valves disposed in suchra way insaidpipes that by turning a handle ltted to the valves water-pressure can be admitted to either end of the cylinder, at the same time switching the other end onto an exhaust-pipe. Thus 3o accordingly as pressure is either admitted 4o by the use of the local valves when the central valve is set to Open it is not possible to open any single door bythe use of the local valves when the central valve has been set to Close.

The arrangement` is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which.-

Figure l is a diagram showing the action when the central or controlling valve is set to Close, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the 5o action of the arrangement when the central 0r controlling valve is set to Open.

The same characters of reference are used to designate the same parts in both figures.

In the diagrams T and T2 are two bulkheaddoors. Iwish it to be understood that, though ,in each diagram only two doors are shown connected with the system, as a matter of fact any desired number may be provided, the invention being designed for the operation of any plurality of doors.

To each door is itted a hydraulic cylinder, the one belonging to door T being designated by the reference-letter M' and the one belonging to door T2 being ldesignated by the reference-letter M2. From the lower end of each cylinder a pipe leads to a three-Way cock H and from the upper end a pipe 5 to a similar three-way cock H". The levers controlling both cocks or valves are positively coupled and are provided with a handle Gr, by means of which both valves can be operated simultaneously. Both three-way cocks Ho and I-Iu are connected by suitably-disposed `piping with an accumulator A and with an exhaust-pipe 3;

Thus far the arrangement is identical with that described in the above-mentioned United States Patent No. 687,933.

Thepressure from the accumulator is transmittedthrough a pipe l to a four-way cock or valve C, Which is supposed to be disposed on the bridge of the ship or in any other suitable place from which the closing and opening ofthe bulkhead-doors is to be controlled. Three other pipes 2, 3, and 4t issue from the central or controlling valve C, of which the pipe 3 leads to an exhaust-tank E. Each A local valve Il is connected to the exhaustpipe 3 by a pipe l0 and to the pipe 4E by a pipe 8, and each local valve H0 is connected to the pipe 8, and thereby to the pipe 4:, by means of a pipe 9 and to the pipe 2 by means of a pipe 7. The operation of this arrangement may be varied in four ways, giving rise to the following four cases:

First. Central valve C set to Open and local valves likewise set to Open door T2 of Fig. 2.

Second. Central valve C set to Open and local valves set to Close door T of Fig. 2.

.Third Central valve set to Close and local valves set to Open door T2 of Fig. l.

IOO

Fourth. Central valve C set to Close and local valves likewise set to Close door T of Fig. 1.

In the first case the Water-pressureis transmitted from pipe l through controlling-valve C to pipe 4, thence through pipes 8 and 9 to local valves H and H The water finds the valve H0 closed and passes through the valve H into pipe 6 and thence'below the piston into thecylinder M2. It raises the piston, carrying the door T2 with it, and the Water above the piston issues through pipe 5, three-way cock H", into pipe 7, thence into pipe 2, central four-Way cock C, into pipe 3, and thus into the exhaust-tank E.

In the second case4 the Water coming down pipe 8 findsr three-way cock l-lu closed and three-way cock l-Io open, and therefore passes through pipe 5 into the upper end of the cylinder M', depressing the piston, and thereby closing the door T. The exhaust water passes through pipe 6, three-way cock H, pipe l0, and pipe 3 into the exhaust-tank E.

In the third case, Fig. l, door T2, the pressure is transmitted from pipe 1 to pipe 2,

' thence through pipe 7 to three-way cock H",

pipe 5, and the upper end of cylinder M2. The exhaust-water issues through pipe 6, lo-

' cal valve H, into pipe 4, thence through the central Valve C into pipe'3 and the exhausttank. Thus, though in this case the local valves were set to Open when the operation commenced, the door T2 is closed, nevertheless, by the action of the central controlto move it.

`ling-valve C.

In the fourth case it is assumed that before commencing operating the position of the parts was that already described with reference to door T of Fig. 2, and therefore the door being already closed, it is not necessary It will be seen by reference to Fig. l, door Tof Fig. l, that both ends of the cylinder Ml are connected to the exhanst-namely,l the upper end-through pipe `5, local valve H0, branch pipe 9, pipe 8, pipe 4, central valve C, and pipe 3, and the lower end through pipe 6, local valve H, pipe lO, and pip'e 3.

It will be observed that in the first two cases-that is, when the central valve is set to Open-pipe 4 acts as a pressure-pipe and pipe 2 as an exhaust-pipe and that in -the two latter cases-that is, when the central valve is set to Close -the parts are exchangedil. e., the pipe 4 acts as an exhaust-pipe and the pipe 2 as a pressure-pipe. This is the leading feature of my present invention. Since one end only of the cylinder is connected directly' with the permanent exhaustpipe 3 vand the other end is always exhausted through the pipe 2, it is always possible by changing the parts of pipes 2 and 4 to close the doors, or, in other words, the operation of the central controlling-valve C in closing the door is altogether independent of the position of the local valves.

Having now particularly described and asce1-tained the nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I'declare that What'I claim isl. In an arrangement for closing and opening bulkhead-doors from a central controlling-station, the combination with hydraulic cylinders fitted to the doors, means for operating the doors 'according as pressure is admitted to either end of said cylinders and a pressure-accumulator, of a pair of pipes connecting the accumulator with the cylinders, a third pipe connecting the cylinders with an exhaust-tank, independent pipes connecting said cylinders with said third pipe and controlled by local valves, and means for switching the pressure stored in the accumulator to either of the pair of pipes and connecting the other with the exhaust-pipe.

2. In an arrangement for closing and opening several bulkhead-doors from a common controlling-station which arrangement consists of a hydraulic cylinder fitted to each of said doors, means for operating the doors when pressure is admitted to either lend of the cylinders and a pressure-accumulatorthe combination with means for switching the pressure stored in said accumulator onto either of a pair of pipes leading from the controlling-station to said cylinders and simultaneously connecting the other to an exhaustpipe such means being located at the controlling-station of means for connecting the one end of said cylinders either With one of the said pair of pipes or with the said exhaustpipe and for simultaneously connecting the other end of said cylinders with either of the said pairA of pipes substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an arrangement for closing and opening several bulkhead-doors from a common controlling-station which arrangementk consists of a pressure-accumulator, a hydraulic cylinder fitted to each of said doors and means for operating saidI doors when pressure is admitted to either end of said cylinders, the combination with a four-Way valve located at the controlling-station of a pipe connecting said central valve to said accumulator, a second pipe connecting said central valve to each of the cylinders and leading to an exhaust-tank and of two more pipes connecting the central valve with the cylinders, the central valve being arranged so as to connect either of the two latter pipes to the pressure-pipe and the other to the exhaust-pipe or Vice versa and of means for connecting one end of said cylinders with either of the said latter pipes and the other end with either one of said latter pipes or with the exhaust-pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an arrangement for closing and opening several bulkhead-doors from a common controlling-station the combination with hydraulic cylinders fitted to each of said doors, means for closing and opening said doors when pressure is admitted to either end of said cylinders, a pair of three-way cocks fitted to each IOO IIO

of said cylinders each of which cocks is connected by a pipe or channel to one end of the cylinder, means for simultaneously operating both three-Way cocks, such three-way cocks being arranged and connected so as to switch the one end of said cylinders onto either of a pair of pipes connecting all cylinders with the controlling-station and the opposite end of the cylinders either onto one of said pair of pipes or onto an exhaust-pipe likewise connecting all doors with the controlling-station, of a pressure-accum ulator,a pipe connecting same with the controlling-station and of a four-way 

